Raindrops
by HuddyJoy0524
Summary: "You don't have to go you know." Mrs. Hughes decides to accept Joe's proposal, and leave Downton to Carson's dismay. But does she follow through? One-shot.


_So… I don't really know what this is. But here you go? _

"You don't have to go, you know," he said. He still had a hold of her hand after helping her into the motorcar.

She squeezed his hand gently. "This is my chance, Mr. Carson," she smiled at him. "You will be alright without me, I know it."

"No one could replace you, Mrs. Hughes," Carson stated. He tried to smile but it came out a bit more like a grimace.

A rumble of thunder echoed in the distance.

She looked up briefly at the sky before turning back to the butler. "Do be sure that Miranda has brought in all the clothes off the line. She tends to forget about them."

"Of course."

"And be sure that Anna knows exactly how the books work! Don't just teach her and leave her be she needs assistance."

"Of course."

"Oh and do NOT let Jimmy sit on the furniture! You know he has taken to doing that and it is really quite unprofessional."

"I will keep a close eye on him."

"And Carson please don't let…"

"I'm terribly sorry, but we really must go." The chauffeur turned around and looked at Mrs. Hughes. "We must make it to the station before the rain starts."

She turned back to face Mr. Carson. "Joe has a telephone. Call if you need me."

Carson was still holding her hand. He looked down at it and then back up at her. "Mrs. Hughes, there is something I…"

"Yes?" She asked her eyes growing round.

"We really must go," the chauffeur stated again.

Carson lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "Please travel safely."

Still not letting go of his hand, she stared at him strangely. Carson merely smiled a sad smile and nodded at the driver.

He gunned the engine and started to drive away. Her hand left his grasp, his hand still trailing in the air where it was only a moment before.

A single raindrop fell from the sky and landed on Carson's nose. He turned around and walked back inside the house.

DA

Elsie took her ticket from the attendant. It was raining now and she felt terribly; she hoped that the chauffeur made it back safely. She sat down gingerly on the bench by third class. A woman was sitting next to her, holding a baby.

"Good afternoon," the young woman smiled at Mrs. Hughes who smiled in return.

"What a charming little bairn," Mrs. Hughes wiggled a finger in front of the baby's nose; he tried to reach up and hold her finger.

"Oh you are Scottish," the woman stated. "Heading back home?"

"Yes. I am getting married this evening," Mrs. Hughes replied.

"That's wonderful, congratulations," the woman smiled again and turned back to her baby. "I am waiting for my husband; he's been away working on the railroads."

"I'm sure that you will be happy to have him home." Mrs. Hughes replied kindly.

"Yes, yes I've missed him so." A train whistle sounded in the distance and a train pulled into the station a few moments later. "That's him," she explained excitedly.

Standing up, she rushed forward into the arms of a young man. He kissed her tenderly, and then kissed his baby. The young woman was crying and kissing him over and over.

Mrs. Hughes wiped a tear from her eye and turned away. She could hear another train whistle in the distance. Her own.

DA

Carson stared out the window as the rain poured down from the sky in buckets. He could hear it tinkling on the windowsill outside his office. Each time he heard the sound of a motor car, he would get up and rush over to the window a little part of his heart hoping that it would be her.

"Mr. Carson?" Carson startled slightly and turned around to see Mary standing in the doorway.

"What can I do for you, M'Lady?" Carson asked.

"I actually came down to see if there was anything that I could do for you," Mary said, setting her lamp down on the desk. "You seemed very upset earlier and I thought that perhaps…"

"I am quite alright," Carson smiled meekly. "But thank you for your kindness. Do you happen to have the time?"

"It's after eleven," Mary replied. "You must be exhausted."

Carson knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. But he couldn't let her know that. "Yes, yes you are quite right. But I think that I am going to finish up down here."

"If you need a late start tomorrow morning, please let me know," Mary replied kindly. "We all will understand."

"Mrs. Hughes hasn't died, M'Lady. She's just gone off to be married," Carson said, attempting jest. It didn't work.

"But it's really the same thing, isn't it Carson?" Mary said casually, although a hint of annoyance was underneath her voice. Confused slightly, Carson said nothing. Mary picked her lamp back up and left him alone. He turned back around and gazed out the window again. A particularly large gust of wind smacked against the house and Carson winced slightly.

Taking a deep breath, he took the key out of his pocket and checked to be sure that the silver cabinet was closed and locked. He put the key in his pocket and checked his pocket watch again. Maybe if he worked a little longer than he might be able to get some rest. He turned around and went to sit down at his desk when he heard a sound.

He froze. It sounded like a door opening. He listened closely. The door shut. Eyes widening, he peeked around the corner of his office. Nothing.

Only people that worked here had the key to the house….what on earth?

Carson walked into the kitchen. Nothing. He walked back into the hallway, and heard what sounded like a small sob.

He walked slowly towards the house. It was the servant's door to the outside.

He turned the corner and stopped, numb with shock. Mrs. Hughes was standing in the doorway, dripping wet. Her curls were plastered to her face. She was leaning against the back of the door, her head in her hands.

"Mrs. Hughes!" Carson exclaimed.

She jumped, and picked her head out of her hands. Her eyes were red rimmed, and her dress clung to her skin. "What on earth happened?!"

"I couldn't get on that train," she said pitifully. She shook her head, trying to get ahold of herself.

"Why, why did something happen to you?!" Carson, now alarmed, walked up to her, as if to inspect her.

"No, no!" She exclaimed. "The train came into the station. I started to get on and I…I couldn't do it!" She took a deep breath, trying not to start crying. "This man can offer me my own home. My own property, companionship. And I couldn't take it."

"Mrs. Hughes…" Carson started and then stopped. "Maybe he is not the right man for you? Perhaps if you…"

"What would you know about that?!" She spat out. "What would you know about marriage and the right and wrong person? You…you are insufferable! You are careless of other people's feelings! You don't…" she let out a little sob. "You make me so angry sometimes!"

Carson, taken aback by her stinging outburst, felt his face grow red. How dare she?!

"I'm independent. I take care of myself. And I made the most important decision of my life. I would finally have what I always wanted."

"It's what I've always wanted too," Carson finished, looking down at the floor. "But it's not really what I wanted. I realized that…that I was headed to live with a man I am unfamiliar with. I don't know what his favorite section of the newspaper is. I don't know his favorite flavor of jam, or what makes him laugh…"

She paused and took a step towards Carson. "Tomorrow I wouldn't wake up and see you ironing the newspaper. And when I went to lunch you wouldn't be waiting for me at the table. And when I retired for the night, you wouldn't be in my parlour with port ready to talk about the day…"

She took a shaky breath. "And you know the worst thing of all?" She tried to keep her voice under control but failed. "I realized that for the first time in twenty five years when I woke up, your face would not be the first one I saw." She tilted her head to the side, somewhat pathetically, and pursed her lips. "And the thought of that was more unbearable to me than giving up my dream."

Tears were streaming down her face again and she tried desperately to wipe her face with her sleeve, failing miserably because it was already wet.

Carson continued to stare at her, saying nothing.

She half chuckled and half sobbed. "Now that I've made a total fool of myself." She shook her head and went to walk by Carson.

He grabbed her arm gently and she stopped, turning back to face him. He leaned in quickly and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Lasting only a few moments, he pulled back, his face only a few centimeters from her.

Her face registered shock and she stared up at him, her eyes wide.

Carson shook his head quickly. "I…I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. Hughes. I don't know what came over me. I apologize."

"Don't apologize," she whispered shaking her head slightly not taking her eyes off of him.

Neither of them dared move. Carson's breath was shallow and his heart was racing.

"May I be honest with you?" Carson whispered.

She nodded slightly, still staring at him.

"I've wanted to do that for twenty years," he replied.

"Then why didn't you?" She asked, her breath hitching in the back of her throat. Her entire body was tingling with anticipation.

He leaned in slightly closer, his lips inches from hers. "It wouldn't be proper, Mrs. Hughes."

"Oh," she stated simply glancing from his eyes back to his lips and then up to his eyes.

"Would it be proper now?" He asked.

"Probably not, Mr. Carson," she breathed.

"Then we shouldn't" he whispered.

"No, we shouldn't" she stated. She reached up and brushed her thumb over his lips. "It's rather late."

"Lady Mary said it was after eleven," he replied reaching up and brushing tears from her face.

"That's quite late" she said, her eyes closing at his touch. "We should retire."

"Yes, yes we should," he said.

She nodded and leaned in again, placing another gentle kiss on his cheek by his mouth. And then another, at the corner of his mouth. And then suddenly his lips were crushed against hers and his arms were around her waist pulling him towards her. She didn't resist, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Mrs. Hughes?! Mr. Carson?" The two of them let go and jumped apart as someone held a lamp up. It was Mary.

"What on earth?!" Mary exclaimed, after seeing the soaking wet Mrs. Hughes. "What is going on?"

"I've come back to work, M' Lady" Mrs. Hughes replied.

"Well then please go get cleaned up and get to bed at once," Mary said sternly. Mrs. Hughes nodded quickly and left, not looking at Carson.

"Carson," Mary turned to him. "You are to go straight to bed."

Carson started to nod. "After you help her get cleaned up," she interjected.

Carson nodded quickly and left to follow her, missing the wide grin on Mary's face as she headed back up the steps.


End file.
